Will the WBC Ever be Huge?

After watching Olympic Hockey, and saying that it was the greatest team tournament among nations, it got me thinking about the WBC. Will the WBC even reach the heights of Olympic Hockey or the World Cup?

As sad as it is to say, the answer is no.  Now I love the WBC and watch pratically every game.  I think the concept is great, but it won't reach an Olympic like level for two main reasons.

The first is leadership.  I give Bud Selig the credit for the idea, but anything with his fingers on it is bound to end in controversy.  I just don't think Selig has the ability to capitalize on something big.  He's actually more likely to ruin the entire thing than push for it to reach higher levels.

Selig aside, the main reason the WBC just won't work is timing.  There just isn't a good time to do this thing.  Take a look at the current format- at the beginning of spring training.  The obvious is that the players just aren't in top baseball shape.  Look deeper and what MLB GM in their right mind want their players competing in the WBC?  One tight hamstring or one sore elbow and the guys that should be there are pulled out.  Can't blame the GM's.  I wouldn't want my guys there either.  Spring training is valuable to teams.  Look at the pitchers who threw in the last years WBC.  Most had early arm problems

So when is the best time to play the WBC?  Answer is that there isn't one.  I heard an after the World Series recomendation.  No way.  While you could eliminate the weather problem by playing in warm cities, 95% of the MLB is shut down by the World Series.  You can't ask players to get it back in gear after a season that last March-October.  Players are looking forward to thier time off, they wouldn't want to compete.

I've heard shut down the MLB for 2-3 weeks like hockey does.  Wouldn't work.  Can't play the World Series at the end of November, and what organization would want to send their pitchers to get 3 more weeks of work at the time teams are heading down the stretch.

As much as I love the WBC concept, there just isn't a right time to hold the tournament.  I do feel that it could be on par with Olympic Hockey or the World Cup, but you would need the games top talent every time out. I will enjoy it next season as I always do, but it could be so much better.  I wouldn't sacrafice one bit of the MLB season for it though

State of MLB- Some Things Will Never Change

First of all, as always, I am enjoying the hell out of the MLB Playoffs. One of my favorite times of the year. However, even though I have enjoyed the Yankees comebacks and watching the Red Sox get swept and watching the Dodgers bullpen, even i have to admit, that it will always be this way. Nine times out of 10, the top dogs will win. The top dogs are the ones who spend the money.

Here’s a list of 2009 team player payrolls: (Numbers are before the season started and don't include payroll additions and in the Pirates case, subtractions)
Team
2009 payroll
New York Yankees
$201,449,189
New York Mets
$149,373,987
Chicago Cubs
$134,809,000
Boston Red Sox
$121,745,999
Detroit Tigers
$115,085,145
Los Angeles Angels
$113,709,00
Philadelphia Phillies
$113,004,046
Houston Astros
$102,996,414
Los Angeles Dodgers
$100,414,592
Seattle Mariners
$98,904,166
Atlanta Braves
$96,726,166
Chicago White Sox
$96,068,500
San Francisco Giants
$82,616,450
Cleveland Indians
$81,579,166
Toronto Blue Jays
$80,538,300
Milwaukee Brewers
$80,182,502
St. Louis Cardinals
$77,605,109
Colorado Rockies
$75,201,000
Cincinnati Reds
$73,558,500
Arizona Diamondbacks
$73,516,666
Kansas City Royals
$70,519,333
Texas Rangers
$68,178,798
Baltimore Orioles
$67,101,666
Minnesota Twins
$65,299,266
Tampa Bay Rays
$63,313,034
Oakland Athletics
$62,310,000
Washington Nationals
$60,328,000
Pittsburgh Pirates
$48,693,000
San Diego Padres
$43,734,200
Florida Marlins
$36,834,000

Baseball's final four is again made up of the rich teams. All four teams still playing are in the top 9 in payroll. Sure, occasionally a team like the Rays can go on an improbable run to the World Series every once in a while, but often the case the big dogs make it.

So what do fans of the Bucs, or the Reds, Marlins, Nationals, etc. hope for? Who should they model them self after? Billy Beane's Oakland A's? Sure they have made some good deals and have made some post-season runs, but last time I checked, they haven't won anything. The Twins? Here is a good model for small market teams. They keep running young arms up to the big leagues. The win by playing Ron Gardenhire ball. the have no problem simply plugging players in for those that they lose and they continue to produce.

Eventually, I could see some similarities between what the Bucs are trying to do and what the Twins have done for the last decade. The difference though between the Bucs (and other small market teams) and the Twins is that the Twins have guys like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. So no matter the young guys they have to play, they still have two studs in the middle of their lineup. Maybe the Bucs could eventually get to that point with McCutchen, Alvarez, Tabata, etc., but the key to the Twins success is sustaining the pipeline of young talent to the majors. They continue to develop young players.

The most likely scenario for a team like the Bucs is the one the Rays just went through. Stockpile a boatload of young talent and when they are ready, get them to the big leagues all together and hopefully let them learn how to win together. The advantage the Bucs would have over the Rays is that they aren't in the AL East. However, they are still in a division that spends money- Cubs, Cards, Stros.

I still believe, that it can happen, but even I understand how difficult it will be, given baseball's current economic state. What can Bud Selig do to fix things? Salary cap. Although, no way that will ever happen. Union wouldn't let it, and if I'm a team like the Yanks, I don't want a salary cap. I don't hate the fact the Yanks have five times the payroll as the Bucs. It's actually nice to see an owner put the money back into the on field product. Even though 200mil is ridiculous, Yankees fans can never say that their management is not doing everything possible to try and win. I'm not saying the Bucs have to go out and spend 200 mil, but facts are facts and the teams that spend the money necessary to put a real product on the field, generally have the best success.

The one thing I'm truly tired of though is Bud Selig's constant plea of parity in the game. What a crock of shit to feed the fans. Just because the Rays made it to the World Series last year doesn't mean there is parity in the game. Some teams still have zero chance of even competing next season. Some type of balance has to be met. I give Selig some credit. Revenue sharing has worked, but it is up to the teams to put the money back into the on field product. Now the Bucs needed an overhaul of their farm system so I will cut them a break this time around. Soon though, they are going to have to spend to compete. There is still no reason that the Brewers should have nearly double the payroll of the Pirates.

Even though there is reason to get excited about the young talent that is on the way, until the decide to compete with other teams economically, the Pirates are very unlikely to compete with them on the field.

Here is a good article by Joe Starkey to check out as well
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_648240.html